Marathon Money Alan Fernandes, Assistant Director of Jesuit Missions, describes a recent visit to Southern Africa to see how your money is spent.
Thank you to all benefactors who supported our London Marathon Appeal, as just over £68,000 was raised for projects overseas. The prospects for 2004 look even better, with a team of over 50 runners ready to run the 26.2 miles. With the 2003 funds distributed it was time to see how things were progressing in South Africa and Zambia.
It had been 3 years since I last visited the Jesuits in South Africa and Zambia and saw the foundations of numerous projects. In South Africa I had a long list of projects I hoped to visit.
The first visit was to St Martin de Porres Church in Soweto. After being crammed in at a crowded Mass I was shown the new extension by Fr Kevin McElhatton. This has been incorporated into the old church and will provide accommodation for 1,000 parishioners at anyone time.
I was privileged to spend a day with the Jesuit Refugee Service in Johannesburg, visiting their shelters and projects. In eight hours we visited shelters, schools and several new initiatives.
Travelling on to St Joseph's Theological Institute in Merrivale I was warmly welcomed by Frs Chris Chatteris and Ed Dougherty, along with the international community of Jesuits and scholastics who are lecturing or studying at the Seminary. Jesuit Missions has been supplying books to St Joseph's for many years.
In Cape Town, Fr Brian McClorry took me to visit Fr Gerry Lorriman's parish in Nyanga. Fr Gerry was away visiting London, but it was good to visit Fr Jack Gillick whilst there. We spent a morning visiting the Nazareth House AIDS Hospice where we saw the extensive building renovations. I'll leave him to explain how your funds are used in the article on page 4.
On a much brighter note, I then spent a day with Catholic Welfare Development (CWD), one of the most established and respected NGOs in South Africa. Together with the Jesuits in South Africa we have been supporting a number of their projects.
Continuing in Southern Africa, I headed on to Zambia to visit the Jesuits and especially Chikuni Radio. I will have a full report on Zambia in the next issue of Jesuit and Friends. If you would like fuller details on the projects I have mentioned and a list of the runners for next year's marathon, visit our website at: www.jesuitmissions.org.uk
GRAND TOTAL RAISED £68,614
Mission work in Guyana £20,114
Mission work and Famine relief inZimbabwe £9,000
Tabora water project -Tanzania Boreholes for schools £8,000
during the Feb. drought in Zambia £6,500
JRS - South Africa £5,000
Famine Relief - Ethiopia £3,000
CWD Elsies river youth - S.Africa £3,000
Library & Learning Centre - Congo £3,000
AIDS work – Fr J Gillick - S Africa £3,000
Language School for poor in SE Asia £2,000
St Francis Secondary School Nigeria £2,000
Famine Relief - Zambia £1,000
Zimbabwe Mission - Fr A Bex £1,000
CWD Refugee projects - S Africa £500
CWD warmth - S Africa £500
CWD Lkhewsi lonso youth - S Africa £1,000
It had been 3 years since I last visited the Jesuits in South Africa and Zambia and saw the foundations of numerous projects. In South Africa I had a long list of projects I hoped to visit.
The first visit was to St Martin de Porres Church in Soweto. After being crammed in at a crowded Mass I was shown the new extension by Fr Kevin McElhatton. This has been incorporated into the old church and will provide accommodation for 1,000 parishioners at anyone time.
I was privileged to spend a day with the Jesuit Refugee Service in Johannesburg, visiting their shelters and projects. In eight hours we visited shelters, schools and several new initiatives.
Travelling on to St Joseph's Theological Institute in Merrivale I was warmly welcomed by Frs Chris Chatteris and Ed Dougherty, along with the international community of Jesuits and scholastics who are lecturing or studying at the Seminary. Jesuit Missions has been supplying books to St Joseph's for many years.
In Cape Town, Fr Brian McClorry took me to visit Fr Gerry Lorriman's parish in Nyanga. Fr Gerry was away visiting London, but it was good to visit Fr Jack Gillick whilst there. We spent a morning visiting the Nazareth House AIDS Hospice where we saw the extensive building renovations. I'll leave him to explain how your funds are used in the article on page 4.
On a much brighter note, I then spent a day with Catholic Welfare Development (CWD), one of the most established and respected NGOs in South Africa. Together with the Jesuits in South Africa we have been supporting a number of their projects.
Continuing in Southern Africa, I headed on to Zambia to visit the Jesuits and especially Chikuni Radio. I will have a full report on Zambia in the next issue of Jesuit and Friends. If you would like fuller details on the projects I have mentioned and a list of the runners for next year's marathon, visit our website at: www.jesuitmissions.org.uk
GRAND TOTAL RAISED £68,614
Mission work in Guyana £20,114
Mission work and Famine relief inZimbabwe £9,000
Tabora water project -Tanzania Boreholes for schools £8,000
during the Feb. drought in Zambia £6,500
JRS - South Africa £5,000
Famine Relief - Ethiopia £3,000
CWD Elsies river youth - S.Africa £3,000
Library & Learning Centre - Congo £3,000
AIDS work – Fr J Gillick - S Africa £3,000
Language School for poor in SE Asia £2,000
St Francis Secondary School Nigeria £2,000
Famine Relief - Zambia £1,000
Zimbabwe Mission - Fr A Bex £1,000
CWD Refugee projects - S Africa £500
CWD warmth - S Africa £500
CWD Lkhewsi lonso youth - S Africa £1,000